Microstructure and crystallographic texture of titanium subjected to combined severe plastic deformation processing

Structural studies of the nanocrystalline titanium powders produced by cryogenic milling followed by severe plastic deformation consolidation are performed. The results obtained are compared with the results obtained for monolithic titanium subjected to severe plastic deformation by torsion.     

Genetically Encoded FRET-Sensor Based on Terbium Chelate and Red Fluorescent Protein for Detection of Caspase-3 Activity

This article describes the genetically encoded caspase-3 FRET-sensor based on the terbium-binding peptide, cleavable linker with caspase-3 recognition site, and red fluorescent protein TagRFP. The engineered construction performs two induction-resonance energy transfer processes: from tryptophan of the terbium-binding peptide to Tb³⁺ and from sensitized Tb³⁺ to acceptor—the chromophore of TagRFP. Long-lived terbium-sensitized emission (microseconds), pulse excitation source, and time-resolved detection were utilized to eliminate directly excited TagRFP fluorescence and background cellular autofluorescence, which lasts a fraction of nanosecond, and thus to improve sensitivity of analyses. Furthermore the technique facilitates selective detection of fluorescence, induced by uncleaved acceptor emission. For the first time it was shown that fluorescence resonance energy transfer between sensitized terbium and TagRFP in the engineered construction can be studied via detection of microsecond TagRFP fluorescence intensities. The lifetime and distance distribution between donor and acceptor were calculated using molecular dynamics simulation. Using this data, quantum yield of terbium ions with binding peptide was estimated.     

RF MEMS packaged switch evaluation tests up to 25 GHz

This article presents the results of the series of experimental tests of a packaged RF MEMS switch manufactured as a chip on a silicon substrate in the Center for Materials and Microsystems of Fondazione Bruno Kessler. Experiments have been performed up to 25 GHz and included S-parameters check in different operation and environmental conditions, including variation of input power, ambient temperature and number of switching cycles. Presented RF MEMS SPST switch is a basic element of more complex reconfigurable networks such as SPxT switches, phase shifters, power attenuators etc.

     

Determining Parameters of a Ferrofluid Based on the Temperature Dependence of Microwave Reflection Spectrum with Allowance for the Formed Agglomerates of Ferromagnetic Nanoparticles

The possibility of simultaneously determining four parameters of a ferrofluid (permittivity, the volume fraction of solid phase, loss tangent, and the diameter of ferrofluid particles) based on the temperature dependence of microwave reflection spectrum has been investigated. It has been shown that taking the dimensions and spatial arrangement of magnetite-nanoparticle agglomerates into account improves the accuracy of determining the parameters.